Mosaic of Flavor: Iraqi Kleicha, Yogurt Rice and Mung Beans

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This monthly series is a collaboration with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. In January we will be making three dishes from Iraq. Kleicha are considered the national cookie of Iraq. They are made with a sweet dough filled with dates, coconut, walnuts and sesame and often flavored with cardamon or rose water. Kleicha are a popular dessert eaten during Eid, at the end of Ramadan, and at festive occasions like weddings and birthdays. We will also make a traditional Iraqi rice dish prepared with yogurt that is served with most meals and a mung bean dish from southern Iraq. Zainab Hussein is from Baghdad and moved to Vermont in January, 2017. She learned to cook from her mother and father. Her father taught her dishes using the techniques and flavors from the south of Iraq, where he grew up. Zainab loves to cook for her children. She will share her story of leaving Iraq and going to Turkey, before coming to the US. Zainab is excited to share her love of cooking and show the class her abaya, the Iraqi cultural dress.